The very best of late night on Youtube

Late night shows are one of the few forms of talk shows that work on both traditional television as well as YouTube. And the shows listed below have taken full advantage of that fact.

Head to YouTube's trending page right now, and it wouldn't be unlikely for you to find an episode of one of the following shows. In fact, only the best parts from these shows actually end up making it onto YouTube, so you're spoiled for choice when venturing into the arena of late shows.

So, for that reason, I have compiled a list of some of the best Late Shows available for your viewing pleasure on YouTube.

THE LATE SHOW WITH STEPHEN COLBERT

After years of hosting the Colbert Report, Stephen Colbert was passed the torch of the iconic Late Show from the great David Letterman. Letterman is considered one of the greatest in the genre of latenight, so filling his shoes was never going to be an easy task. Colbert took the role brilliantly, and instead of changing formats, he simply added his own twist to the show by including political commentary in the pre-show monologue. Colbert excels at being a sweet likeable host, who easily builds a rapport with his guests, while also being critical of them during the interview.

Episode to get you hooked: Jon Stewart's flipped interview with Stephen Colbert.

CONAN

Conan O'Brien was once in line to inherit, what is considered by many to be, the greatest late night show of all time. However, after just 15 episodes, Jay Leno—the former host—returned to the show. After that, O'Brien moved to TBS and started this show, simply called Conan. The traditional format of latenight shows wasn't changed at all since the show's inception. There'd be an initial monologue followed by a few comedy skits, a couple of interviews and either a musical performance or a stand-up routine to end the show. However, the simplicity of the format is really what made everyone fall in love with Conan and all his eccentricities. Additionally, unlike Colbert, Conan has a co-host, the host's long-time friend Andy Richter.

Episode to get you hooked: Conan busts his employees eating cake.

JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE

Quite ironically, Jimmy Kimmel Live isn't actually a show that airs live. Instead, it's filmed earlier in the day and then aired later at night. Similar to Conan, this show has a co-host in the lovable Guillermo. What really makes Jimmy Kimmel Live brilliant, however, is the wide variety of skits that happen throughout the course of the show. From impromptu sketches with random pedestrians and mean tweets, all the way to Kimmel's fake feud with actor Matt Damon. Unlike some of the other personalities on this list, Kimmel doesn't feel as charming or likeable. But that's just my opinion.

LATE NIGHT WITH SETH MEYERS

Since taking over the reins, Seth Meyers made tremendous changes to what was previously the Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. Meyers' background at SNL really helped shape the direction that Late Night would eventually take under his command. The best part about this particular latenight show is its ability to stay fresh. There is no strict format, except for the opening monologue, and Meyers rarely sticks to any fixed style of hosting. What really raised the show's popularity is the political commentary in the opening monologue as well as the multiple recurring segments. Politics aside, Meyers has exceptional skills at keeping an audience entertained, probably from his years of SNL experience.

Episode to get you hooked: Andy Samberg shares his rejected Golden Globes jokes.

THE DAILY SHOW WITH TREVOR NOAH

Trevor Noah too had big shoes to fill when he took over TheDaily Show from Jon Stewart. For the longest time, Stewart had hosted one of the few shows that dived deep into politics and political satire. But by the time Noah took over, political satire had become a staple of every latenight host's monologue. Thankfully, Noah's attempts at differentiating himself from the Stewart-era helped cement his place in the shows annals.

THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JIMMY FALLON

Jimmy Fallon's version of the most famous late night show is highly revered, owing mainly to the factor of nostalgia for the era when the late great Johnny Carson was the host. Fallon was able to tap into that market, and really seal his place in the show with his quirky and charming personality. At the helm of his success was all the different sketches, skits, and games that Fallon brought into the show. Instead of spending extensive time on a monologue, Fallon focuses more on entertainment through other recurring segments and games on the show. Although some people cite Fallon as being ingenuine, because he breaks into laughter at the tiniest of jokes, that really does seem to be just his personality.

Episode to get you hooked: Robert Irwin and Jimmy feed a baby kangaroo.

Latenight shows have made their way from network television into YouTube, and they're here to stay. Watching these shows isn't just entertaining, sometimes it can also be very informative as well. So why not find one that appeals to your tastes, and use the convenience of YouTube to follow it.

Honourable mentions: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, and The Late Late Show with James Corden.